BackgroundIn patients who are not amenable to surgical resection (cavernostomy), it is difficult to achieve palliation of hemoptysis from pulmonary aspergilloma. There are only 9 cases with a short follow-up that have reported the use of radiotherapy for hemoptysis in this scenario.MethodsA retrospective series of 21 patients with chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis were treated with radiotherapy (20 Gray) from 1990 to 2002. The outcome measures were the period from tuberculosis treatment to the onset of hemoptysis, hemoptysis resolution rate, change in Zubrod performance status after 30 days of the completion of radiotherapy, local failure-free survival, and overall survival.ResultsThe median time between tuberculosis treatment and the onset of hemoptysis due to aspergilloma was 9 years. After radiotherapy, general status improved and the hemoptysis resolved in all patients. During the follow-up period, 4 failures occurred, with a 5-year local failure-free survival rate of 82 % and a 5-year overall survival rate of 59 %. Of these failures, 2 patients died due to recurrence of the hemoptysis, and 2 were rescued (using cavernostomy and reirradiation). The presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (p = 0.021) and female gender (p = 0.032) were negatively associated with overall survival. None of the variables was related to local control.ConclusionsBased on these long-term data, radiotherapy is a potential option for controlling bleeding due to fungus balls. Female patients and COPD were associated with lower survival.

ABSTRACT:The frequency of envenoming in Northwest counties of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, from 1995 to 2000 was evaluated. Reports from the Municipal Secretariat of Health of these counties were used. The results demonstrated that, from 1997 to 1999, there was a shortage of notification, and 40 cases of envenomations caused by Bothrops snakes were registered. These cases were more common from February to October, and the lower limbs of male peasants were the mainly affected areas.

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The prevalence and clinical forms of Trypanosoma cruzi were evaluated among blood donor candidates attended at a general hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from January 1997 to April 1999. The investigation was done by means of the indirect hemagglutination test and was confirmed via ELISA. Data were collected from clinical examinations, conventional electrocardiogram, chest radiography and echocardiography. The results showed that despite Trypanosoma cruzi prevalence of 1.17% (128 patients), mainly in males aged 40 years or over, 70.8% of these patients, mainly males aged 19 to 39 years, demonstrated abnormalities that allowed the diagnosis of cardiopathy and/or esophagopathy. This once again corroborates the importance of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in urban centers. Resumo A prevalência e a manifestação das formas clinicas de

Cryptosporidiosis occurrence was determined in HIV+ patient assisted in the Clinic of Infect-parasitic Diseases in a hospital of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the period from Juy/1998 to March/1999. In order to research, seventy-five patient, carriers of diarrhea or not, were appraised. The samples of feces were collected and placed in saline solution with formaldehyde (5%). The Modified Ritchie technique was used for the oocysts research, and the smears were stained with Safranine O methylene blue. The results verified 9.33% of positive samples, with higher frequency of cases in patients of the masculine sex from 20 to 50 years old, however without significant difference. Resumo

Vaginitis is the most common infectious disease diagnosed among women attended at gynecological outpatient clinics in the Primary Care Service. The aim of this research is to investigate the incidence of vaginitis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis and Candida spp. in women attended at the gynecological outpatient clinic of Dr. Vanderlei Pacini Gynecological Clinic in the city of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro Province. The studied population consisted of 386 women. For the sample of the vaginal secretion, we use disposable speculum and sterile swabs were used. Material was removed from lateral vaginal walls and recto-uterine pouch. Two slides were prepared and sent to clinical pathology and histocytopathology laboratories. The preparations were stained with Gram and Papanicolaou staining methods, and examined under a light microscope with a 1000× magnification. Among the 386 examined women, 82 (21.24%) cases of infection by one of the investigated microorganisms were diagnosed: 60 of Gardnerela vaginalis (CP = 15.54%) and 22 of Candida spp. (CP = 5.44%). Infections and complications caused by G. vaginalis and Candida spp. constitute a serious health problem for women, which should carry out periodic examinations to safeguard gynecological health.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus are Gram positive cocci components of the normal microbiota of the skin and mucosa, but can attack other sites of the organism depending on favourable conditions. The condition of host of this bacterium colonizing the nasal mucosa is recognized as a potential risk factor for subsequent invasive infections. This research had the objective to investigate the prevalence of nasal carriers of S. aureus among Toba Qom indigenous ethnic group of the San Francisco de Asis community, Paraguay, and to determine the sensitivity profile to antimicrobial agents.Methods: 141 samples of the nasal cavities were analyzed. Isolation and identification were performed by conventional microbiological methods, by the staining characteristics of the Gram method, catalase and coagulase tests, mannitol fermentation test and deoxyribonuclease test. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by the agar diffusion technique according to a procedure standardized by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards.Results: 22 of the 141 individual examined samples were colonized by Staphylococcus aureus, which corresponds to a prevalence of 15.6%.Conclusions: Multidrug-resistant strains were not isolated. All samples presented good sensitivity to most antibiotics except for nalidixic acid, which all samples presented resistance.

La infección por rotavirus es la principal causa de diarrea aguda en el mundo. Se estima que esta infección es responsable de aproximadamente 138 millones de casos de diarrea aguda y de 44 mil muertes al año en niños con edad menor de cinco años. Objetivos: Determinar la frecuencia de rotavirosis en niños con gastroenteritis atendidos en los servicios de salud de la región de la Baixada Fluminense. Material y métodos: Entre enero de 2009 y abril de 2010 se colectaron muestras fecales de 1067 niños menores de cinco años afectados de gastroenteritis. Se utilizó la técnica de reacción inmunocromatográfica para detectar antígenos de rotavirus (Rotavirus Tira Látex Test Bioeasy). Resultados: El 21,3% de los niños examinados tuvieron antígenos de rotavirus en las muestras fecales. No se encontró diferencias entre niños y niñas. Conclusiones: La incidencia de rotavirosis en la región de la Baixada Fluminense se encuentra en un nivel medio en comparación con poblaciones semejantes en países de Latinoamérica. PALABRAS CLAVE. Rotavirus, diarrea, gastroenteritis.